Quote of the Day: Zheng Qinwen channels Liu Xiang in clearing Olympic tennis hurdle
The newly-minted women’s singles champion cited the 110-meter hurdler as inspiration for her own gold medal performance against Donna Vekic on Saturday.
From one Olympic champion to another…
Zheng Qinwen was starry-eyed after capturing Olympic gold at the 2024 Olympic Summer Games in Paris. Talking about the significance of winning China’s first gold medal in women’s singles, the No. 6 seed cited another Olympic champion who topped a podium of his own two decades ago.
“Since I was a little kid, I’ve wanted a gold medal for my country. Maybe not gold, but just a medal,” she said on court after the match. “I feel so happy to create history because when I was watching all the older people, how they created history, I really wanted to be one of them.
“In 2004, Liu Xiang also won Olympic gold medal if I remember right. He said he would always remember that moment when he was 21. Here I am, I’m also 21, same like him in that moment! This feeling is unbelievable.”
Indeed, Xiang won gold at the 2004 Summer Olympic Games in Athens, and Zheng later revealed just how much the 110-meter hurdler inspired her through what was an objectively tough week in Paris.
"I've watched Liu Xiang's victory at the Athens Games in 2004 (in 110 metres hurdles) many times, trying to inspire myself," said Zheng, who was also inspired by Li Na, China’s first Grand Slam champion in women’s singles. "He was 21 and I am the same age today. I felt I could do it too."
Zheng weathered a tricky week on the terre battue, navigating a pair of three-hour, three-set wins over Emma Navarro and Angelique Kerber before stunning world No. 1 Iga Swiatek in the semifinals.
Facing Donna Vekic in the Gold Medal Match, Zheng retained impressive composure to hold on for a 6-2, 6-3 victory over the in-form Croat.
With an Olympic gold under her belt, might the 2024 Australian Open finalist go one match better at a Grand Slam?